1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to user interfaces and, more particularly, to user interfaces for mobile devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless terminals or devices, such as cellular telephones, pagers and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), contain interfaces between the user and the machine. Such interfaces are referred to as user interfaces or man-machine interfaces (xe2x80x9cMMIsxe2x80x9d). These interfaces determine how a user is able to interact with the terminal or device. Typically, the user interfaces include a display device (e.g., a LCD display) which displays information or choices for the user of the terminals or devices, and the user navigates through the information or choices with buttons.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional mobile telephone 100 having a fixed man-machine interface (MMI) 102. The fixed MMI includes a display portion 102 where a variety of user interface components that are useful in the operation of the mobile telephone 100 are displayed. Such user interface components can, for example, include the telephone number called 104, a mode indicator 106 (e.g., whether digital or analog), and various status bars 108. For example, such status bars can represent battery level, signal strength, or volume. As is also common, the cellular telephone 100 also includes navigation buttons 110 and 112 as well as an alphanumeric keypad 114. The navigation buttons 110 and 112 can also be considered part of the fixed MMI. The navigation buttons 110 and 112 allow a user to make selections from menus or lists. The alphanumeric keypad 114 allows a user to enter alphanumeric information with respect to the cellular telephone 100.
A major disadvantage of the fixed MMI available with the conventional mobile telephone 100 is that it is not able to be modified following manufacture of the mobile telephone. In other words the user interface or MMI of conventional wireless terminals or devices are set in the factory when the terminals or devices are manufactured and thus cannot be subsequently modified or supplemented. Also, different manufacturers typically have differences in their MMIs and given that they are fixed upon manufacture, significant compatibility problems arise and complicate the uniform delivery of information to a wireless terminal or device.
Some carrier networks that provide connection services to the wireless terminals or devices have the ability to customize the user interface by displaying the name or logo of the carrier network (or network operator). Further, some wireless devices have recently offered the limited ability to control sub-menu choices that are made available in menus provided in a user interface. See, e.g., Smart Messaging Specification, Revision 1.0.0, Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd., Sep. 15, 1997. While the limited ability to control sub-menu choices and to add one""s name or logo are helpful, the degree of change to a user interface that these conventional approaches provide is too restrictive for many applications. Examples of applications not available with conventional approaches are the ability to insert advertising and other revenue generating information into a user interface and the ability to generally provide additional information or services in the user interface that would be useful to the user. In addition, the ability to control sub-menu choices or add one""s name or logo does not allow the compatibility problems to be overcome, nor does it allow the user interface or MMI to be significantly modified or supplemented after being manufactured.
Thus, there is a need for improved techniques for altering man-machine interfaces for wireless devices after being manufactured.
Broadly speaking, the invention relates to improved techniques for configuring user interfaces (e.g., man-machine interfaces) for wireless devices. The configuring a user interface is able to be controlled by a network operator such that replacement, alteration or customization of the user interfaces by the network operator is possible. Besides the ability to partially or completely change the user interface, such configuring or customization enables network operators to provide options, logos, advertising, etc. in a controllable way.
The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, an apparatus, and a computer system. Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below.
As a method for configuring a user interface on a display screen associated with a remote computing device operating a browser program and capable of being coupled to a network server, an embodiment of the invention includes the operations of: receiving screen configuration information that contains a plurality of user interface components that together form a screen to be displayed on the display screen, each of the user interface components corresponding to a particular aspect of the user interface; locating particular content information for the user interface components based on the screen configuration information; retrieving the particular content information for the user interface components; and displaying the content information for the identified user interface component on the display screen.
As a mobile device that couples to a network server, an embodiment of the invention includes: a display screen; and a computer readable media storing computer program instructions for operating a browser program and for storing computer program instructions for configuring a user interface on the display screen. The computer program instructions for configuring the user interface on the display screen include: program code for receiving screen configuration information that contains a plurality of user interface components that together form a screen to be displayed on the display screen, each of the user interface components corresponding to a particular aspect of the user interface; program code for locating particular content information for the user interface components based on the screen configuration information; program code for retrieving the particular content information for the user interface components; and program code for displaying the content information for the identified user interface component on the display screen.
As a computer readable medium containing program code for configuring a user interface on a display screen associated with a remote computing device operating a browser program and capable of being coupled to a network server, an embodiment of the invention includes: first program code for receiving screen configuration information that contains a plurality of user interface components that together form a screen to be displayed on the display screen, each of the user interface components corresponding to a particular aspect of the user interface; second program code for locating particular content information for the user interface components based on the screen configuration information; third program code for locating particular content information for the user interface components based on the screen configuration information; fourth program code for retrieving the particular content information for the user interface components; and fifth program code for displaying the content information for the identified user interface component on the display screen.
As an apparatus for centrally managing user interfaces for different mobile devices having display screens, an embodiment of the invention includes: a memory for storing user interface information for mobile devices; and a user interface controller operatively connected to the memory. The user interface controller operates to identify a particular one of the mobile devices, determine appropriate screen setup information for the particular one of the mobile devices, and forward the determined appropriate screen setup information to the particular one of the mobile devices such that the particular one of the mobile devices can setup a screen displayed on its display screen in accordance with the appropriate screen setup information.
The advantages of the invention are numerous. One advantage of the invention is that a user interface for a remote wireless computing device is able to be modified, configured or designed after the remote wireless computing device is manufactured. Another advantage of the invention is that complete screen control is available. Still another advantage of the invention is that a remote server machine or an operator thereof can control the user interface utilized on a remote wireless computing device.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.